


There Are No Strings On Me

by MegaFrost4



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), F/M, M/M, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Psychological Drama, Ultron Returns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-03
Packaged: 2021-03-16 22:55:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 13
Words: 16,613
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29832174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MegaFrost4/pseuds/MegaFrost4
Summary: They thought the war was over...but it's only just begun
Relationships: Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this on 4/27/15 right before Age of Ultron came out, and wrote it right along until finishing it on 10/08/15. I remember loving the teaser for this, with its darker tones, which unfortunately did not stick the landing, but I still liked the movie, despite its problems [other than those it's not that bad! It's good. Just the weakest of the 4 Avengers movies.] I tried to do this back when I was very naive, and didn't know much about the comics, or how to tease Ragnarok or Civil War properly [I have learned so much since then, I swear!].
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

"One son who doesn't want the throne, another who wanted it too much. Is this to be my legacy?" Odin asks.

Thor looks at his father, still hurting after seeing his brother die in his arms. "Loki died with honour. I shall try to live the same. Let _that_ be your legacy."

Odin looks at his son, with no change of tone. "I cannot give you my blessing, nor can I wish you good luck. Even if I could, it could only come from my heart...Go..."

Thor sets down his hammer in front of the throne.

"It is yours, if you are worthy enough to wield it."

"I shall try to be. Thank you." Thor bows, and turns to leave, closing the grand doors behind him.

Odin's appearance changes, revealing Loki, having been in disguise all along. "No...thank _you_." Smirking like the trickster he was, having pulled another one over his stupid brother, Loki basked in his achievement. Finally, he was king. Even if he has to stay in Odin's form...it will just make things less cumbersome...he was still the ruler of Asgard. Things were finally going his way.

* * *

Months passed without much to excite him over. Loki was lounging on his throne, his pale fingers of his true self moving sensually up and down the staff. He was bored. He could not play tricks nor go through his schemes as king. He found it a little unsatisfying. He had not even seen his brother in Odin knows how long.

"Maybe that monster destroyed them all..." Loki mumbled to himself. He had heard from Heimdall about the war on Midgard, and Loki pretended to carefully feel some concern, telling his main guard that all will be well. Of course, Heimdall believed him to be his king, and never brought it up again. Still, Loki would have liked to have been there to see the destruction. Even though it was not by his hand, he could still ruin Asgard when the moment was right. He just wanted to make sure his brother was gone so he could not get in the way of his plans...again.

" _Maybe you're right._ "

Loki reacted a little too late as a blast to the head left his vision dark...

* * *

His vision started coming back to him, Loki grunted in pain and confusion. Where in Odin's realm was he? Definitely _not_ Asgard. He tried to push himself to his knees, his head spinning. He could feel the sticky blood glue his ratted hair to the side of his temple where he was hit. He noticed he was chained by his wrists and ankles. Torture, how typical. But who could his captor be? Maybe it was the robot whom his brother's "team" could not defeat. How fun it will be for him to revel in more glory as to defeat his brother and his enemy in battle.

"Lokiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii..."

Loki looks around, finding two red lights beaming at him in the darkness. He smirked. "Am I to be graced by the presence of Ultron? Stark's many screw-ups...he is a genius to create such a pathetic-"

"I AM MY OWN!" Loki stopped mid sentence as his windpipe was constricted by a large metal hand. "Stark is _not_ my master. I answer to _no one."_

"Then..." Loki tried to swallow. "...to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Ultron's expression did change, but his tone does. "You are nothing but a puppet for their demise."

"I see." He dropped Loki to the ground, and the god panted, rubbing his neck, but showing no other signs of weakness, much less, fear. It was more, curiosity. "You want me to lead the Avengers to you so they can be destroyed once and for all? And since you couldn't do it yourself, you need _my_ help."

"I need you as bait...not as help. They thought they scared me off. They think their planet is finally safe. But I am not finished with them yet."

"And I suppose you think I am just going to cooperate in being but a mere pawn in your game?" Loki raised an eyebrow.

"You have no choice."

Loki screamed in agony, and everything went black again. The last thing he heard was Ultron walking away, humming to himself:

"There are no strings on _meeee_."


	2. Chapter 2

"Did we win?" Tony flipped his mask up, revealing sweat, blood, and a black eye forming. He winced as he lifted his shoulders to throw the entire mask off.

Steve wiped his brow with the back of his hand, looking pretty beat up himself. "I don't know..."

Everyone else kept looking at their surroundings. It was a bloodbath. Death was everywhere...literally. Ultron and his army threw them all for a loop. And then he just, vanished. For good, hopefully, but the Avengers were too anxious to hope for that kind of miracle.

"Don't have to worry about paperwork." Clint tried to break the ice with his wit, but did not get much of a response. SHIELD had been shut down ever since the HYDRA incident. Nobody, especially Steve, ever brought it up. The Captain gave Clint a sharp look before it quickly disappeared, due to exhaustion.

Natasha never moved, staring off into space. Clint could tell she was hit too close to home, knowing her history. It was best to just leave her alone. Thor was not himself either. Instead of his proud stance, his shoulders were slumped in defeat, standing by Bruce as if still protecting him. Bruce was sitting on the broken pavement trying to cover himself with what little clothing the Other Guy left for him. He could not even look at Tony, his best friend, he felt so ashamed.

How could this have happened to Earth's mightiest heroes?

"OK..." Tony tried to get everyone's attention. "Who's up for some schwarma? After Loki's show, it was still running, surprisingly, so, let's check it out again?"

No one said anything, but followed the billionaire to the joint. It was, to everybody's dread, not open...it was not even there.

"Shit!" Tony was really hungry, and now he was hangry...not a good combination.

"What do we do now?" Clint asked, obviously not about where they were going to get food.

Nobody answered, until Thor spoke up. "My friends..." Everyone turned to the demigod. "My home is open to you all. I know we've made a mess of things here, but..." He took a breath. "There is nothing we can do in this state. We need to rest, regain our strength. Let us go to the All-Father for guidance in this time of Midgard's turmoil and utter defeat. Then we can fix this problem once and for all."

They considered Thor's offer. Tony did _not_ bring up the Tower, which was, to his dismay, destroyed. "I'm with PointBreak...let's get out of here." The others were wary at first, but one by one they came to Thor's side.

All except Steve.

"Comin' Capsicle?" Tony asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They think we're somehow, not useful...but, we are, aren't we?" Steve's wheels were turning, trying to wrap his brain around the fact that, for the first time in this new body, there was nothing he could do to help the situation.

"This isn't your fault." Tony said, seriously. "We all know this was my idea."

"Tony..."

"No, Bruce. I'm sorry I did this to you guys." Tony apologized. "I should've listened to JARVIS' warning. Not every AI turns out to be like him. I mean..." He paused. "I've learned my lesson. The last thing I want you to do is blame yourself. This is all on me."

"Let us go, Captain." Thor reached out a hand. "My Father will help us with his wisdom, I can assure you." Steve hesitated, but looking at how broken his team looked, he knew nothing would be accomplished now.

"OK, I'm in."

Thor summoned the "rainbow path to rainbow bridge" as Tony put it, and they disappeared instantly, appearing on said bridge.

"Are we about to play Mario Kart? You need to seriously consider this when you become king."

"I turned it down."

"You what?"

That froze everyone, staring in shock at the prince.

"My place is with this team. I do not wish to be king any longer."

"So you're just going to let Loki make a bigger mess of things?" Tony, of course, could not keep his mouth shut, once again.

Thor grabbed Tony's neck, _again_ , lifting him up to his eye level. "My brother...redeemed himself...on his dying breath!" Tears were in his eyes.

No one uttered a word, as Tony was thrown back into Bruce, who almost toppled over from being so weak. They looked at each other, then went to the entrance of Asgard. No one had been here before, so they were shocked to see how glorious everything looked.

"Christmas came early." Tony whispered to Clint, who could not hide a smirk at the obvious joke pointed at the king. Odin gave Tony a death glare, shutting Tony up immediately.

"The All-Father knows all..." Thor explained to Tony, who suddenly seemed to shrink back.

"Of course...my bad, your highness."

"None taken, Anthony, son of Howard Stark." Tony grimaced at that, but bowed along with the rest of the team.

"My son has offered our home to you. All I ask is that you not level Asgard to smithereens..."

Bruce felt Odin's piercing gaze. He fidgeted nervously.

"Hey!" Tony interjected, coming back to the present. "He can control himself!"

"I assure you, Father." Thor put a warning hand on Tony's shoulder. "There will be no incident."

Odin stared at the group of humans before him, and nodded in grimace. "Very well. My son will show you to your living quarters where you can make yourselves comfortable. There will be a feast tonight, as I am sure you are famished after this gruesome war you just survived." That made everyone uncomfortable. They followed a guard who offered to show them the way alongside Thor. Nobody noticed the king's appearance flickered like static, for a split second revealing Loki, who looked like death washed over.

* * *

The hot baths, more like swimming pools, were very appealing to the sore and aching heroes. Stripping down to almost nothing, they eased in one by one, well, except for Thor, of course, who gave no sign of modesty. The young god nearly fell in and stayed submerged for what felt like a solid minute. He threw himself up for a breath before wading over to the edge to sit. They all began sighing in relief for the first time in a long time. The heat immediately started to heal them. They looked curiously at each other, then Thor explained.

"These baths have healing qualities. I always come here after a battle to cure any injuries that I may have acquired."

Steve relaxed for the first time since being in Asgard at that. His muscles finally started to ease up. He actually left his shield in his room. There was this peaceful atmosphere in Asgard. He did not feel like a possessed robot was going to attack here. 

"Well, you know where I'll be for the rest of this vacation..." Tony stated, as his reactor glowed brightly in the water as he sunk deeper, up to his neck.

Bruce was just trying to focus on the present moment. The All-Father intimidated him immensely, but the Other Guy decided to stay put for the time being, since this was the puny god's home and he could be trusted. Natasha and Clint never said a word. They seemed to drift off to sleep, but still seemed awake, as the spies were always aware of their surroundings. This was the first time they showed even the slightest hint of letting their guard down enough to relax.

About two hours later, everyone begrudgingly got out of their new favorite place in the universe to change for dinner. They all came to the dining hall in robes and tunics, very thankful to Thor, who assured them that this was as much their home as it was his. Clint's eyes grew to the size of saucers as he saw how much food was presented to them on the long table. Even the others' mouths watered at the sight of all of the delicious food. There were an assortment of meats that looked unfamiliar to the Midgardians, along with pastries and fruits and wines coming in bowls.

"My friends," Thor was looking directly at Tony. "Be cautious of the Asgardian ale, as it is beyond your comprehension."

Tony scoffed. "Thanks for the warning..."

Natasha gave Clint a look to pay attention to Thor. Clint, however, was not paying the slightest attention.

"Where is Father?" Thor asked one of the servants.

"Our king is weary and has fallen into the Odin sleep." Thor nodded in understanding, knowing this sort of thing could happen at any moment without warning.

"The Odin sleep?" Tony asked mischievously.

"Sounds like something I could use..." Bruce replied.

Tony smirked. "Cap's already had an Odin sleep...enough for a lifetime!" Steve playfully shoved Tony as he burst into laughter.

After Thor blessed the feast in his father's name, everyone dug in to the delicious food Asgard had to offer.

"This is incredible!" Steve mentioned gratefully.

"I have to say, I have never had anything that tastes like this, and I've been around." Bruce said.

"Hey!" Tony swatted, eyeing Clint.

The archer innocently picked up a leg of meat, pretending he did not just shoot a grape at the unsuspecting genius. The food fight continued throughout the meal. They laughed and listened to some of Thor's outrageous tales until they could not eat any more.

"I would like to make a toast!" Thor stood proudly, pouring a fresh glass of drink. "To the All-Father himself, for providing us nourishment and sanctuary!" Everyone raised their glasses.

"ANOTHER!" Thor slammed his drink down onto the ground, shattering it to golden pieces. Tony and Clint joined in on the fun and there was a mess all over as Clint started throwing everything he could get his hands on.

Several drinks later, neither Tony nor Clint could tell, they were dragged out of the dining hall by Bruce, Natasha, and Steve, each taking Tony, Clint, and Thor respectively.

"Another!" Tony whined, but no one acknowledged his totally drunken state.

"Knew these idiots would get drunk." Natasha stated. Steve smiled, shrugging at Bruce, as they all went to their chambers for a much-needed sleep. "They'll be sure to feel it in the morning."

"Do you think they have something like coffee here on Asgard?" Steve questioned, knowing that was the go-to on Midgard.

"I think the healing baths will do the trick." Bruce answered.

After much bickering, they were all sound asleep peacefully for the first time in Odin knows when.


	3. Chapter 3

It did not last.

Nightmares plagued them from Wanda's mind games. They drew on like eternity...well, more like falling into a black abyss with no knowledge of ever returning or even making a destination. The horrors of their past and the realities of their worst fears had finally come true. Or, at least, that was what they thought for the moment.

_Not perfect! Still more time! Natasha, you are a disgrace!_

_Asgard has fallen...because of you..._

_The war is over...now how 'bout that dance, Captain?_

_The Hulk appears to be...Oh MY GOD!_

_Daddy!_

_Because of you...you killed them..._

Screams of terror were heard all throughout the night, and Natasha, with tears running down her cheeks, pushed hers aside to tend to Bruce before...

RRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWWWRRRRRRRRRRRRR...

Shit.

Everyone was knocked out of their daze as the Hulk stormed the palace. Asgardian warriors tried to contain the beast, but their efforts were futile.

"WAIT!" Thor stopped them from hurting themselves any further, as Natasha stepped forward.

Bruce eyed her, then leveled a statue before growling at the tree next to it. They all backed away. In the courtyard, it was only Natasha and him...and the Other Guy.

"The sun's getting real low..."

Bruce grunted.

Natasha raised her hand in peace, revealing nothing of a threat. Bruce towered over her, then reached out his hand. Brushing ever so gently, Bruce went off and returned.

"You OK, big guy?" Tony greeted him with a robe, covering Bruce's shaky form.

"I don't wanna talk about it."

"We all couldn't sleep, anyway." Steve tried to take the blame off of Bruce. "That little curse has a long aftermath."

"Yeah, and a real bitter taste." Tony replied, staring off into nothing.

"Let's try to get some rest guys." Clint wrapped an arm around Natasha and led everyone back to the bedrooms. The rest of the night was not much better, though. Still unable to rest, the Avengers just sat and pondered everything that had just happened. Ultron, as twisted as he was, had a point. They were just monsters, trying to make the world a better place. But had they succeeded?

* * *

Morning came with a...well, surprise...

"Uh, guys...you might wanna wake up now...like NOW!" Tony, being the lightest sleeper, gaped at the sight around them. Everyone jolted awake at their friend's rather abrupt panicky tone.

"By Odin's beard..."

"Where are we?"

"Not of this realm...nor any other I have ever seen..." Thor reached his hand out for Mjolnir, but it did not immediately come.

Surrounding them were walls, torn apart and shoved back together messily. There was one light beaming down on them from above. The ceiling must have been hundreds of feet tall, for the echo was immense. There were rows of stone wrapping around them up until about twenty feet where the remains of the walls began. It was like a capped version of the Colosseum.

"Are you sure we're not in Rome?" Tony asked, more to state the obvious that there was no way they were in the ancient theater.

" _Now, Stark, why play dumb when you know you are the most narcissistic, "smartest" human being that ever_ cursed _the world?_ " Ultron came out of the shadows. Terror hit every Avenger.

"How the hell..."

"No! We defeated every last one of you. None of you got away. We-"

"Lost." Ultron laughed at their confusion. "You thought you could defeat me? I am more intelligent than ever before. I've traveled galaxies at the speed of light while you've been drinking your brains out."

"But..." Tony refused to show any sign of subjugation to his own doing. "That was only a couple of hours..."

"Just think if I'd had waited a couple of years." Ultron walked towards the group, who huddled close together. "Why, I could just think, and POOF! You would be exterminated. But I thought, to tear you from the inside, I'm going after you one...by...one..." Ultron pointed at Thor. "Starting with you..."

Thor stepped forward, knowing he did not have Mjolnir. He was not about to let this dream become a reality. "Go ahead...mock me, you piece of metal. I am a god! I can take you!"

A scream of sheer agony deafened the Avengers as Ultron sighed.

"Way to ruin the moment..." He stepped back, as the light grew wider. "I was hoping for a more, theatrical entrance that will have you screaming. But this will do..."

They gaped in horror, Thor dropping to his knees in tears at the sight before them.

"My...m-my...he's-"

"Alive? Mmm, yes, fortunately, he's more powerful than you fools give him credit for."

"But he was-"

"You thought he died a hero, didn't you? Such a naive thing, and to think your brother, the god of _lies_ , couldn't pull his greatest stunt over you." Ultron raised an eyebrow.

"Loki?" Thor could not think straight.

Ultron walked over to Loki, who was suspended just high enough to be eye level with him. The chains stretched back to make him spread-eagled, head hanging, until Ultron shoved his chin up.

"Tell them how you did it, Loki." Ultron teased. "Tell your precious so-called brother how stupid he is."

Loki tried to speak, but he could not. He was paler than a sheet, shirtless, and they could see the bruises and cuts from the torture. That was not the worst part though.

"Do a magic trick for them..." Ultron gestured to the silent Avengers. "Let's show them what you're made of."

And with that, came a scream of agony as Loki's limbs were stretched out and thrown back away from Ultron. Like a live marionette, he was pulled and twisted in ways no human or immortal could possibly do without...

"You tore him limb from limb! You monster!" Thor charged, but it was useless as two robots appeared out of nowhere, pinning him to the ground. All Thor could do was watch in horror as his dear brother was strung around like a marionette.

Loki passed out...again...from the pain.

"You sick, twisted, manipulative-"

"Ah Ah Ah..." Ultron interrupted. " _Language_ , Captain."

They all stepped forward.

"What do you want?" Bruce questioned, fear in his eyes. _Why is the Other Guy dormant?_

"I want to show you how it feels to be tangled in strings..." Tony winced. He knew this was his fault. "Being thrown here and there, told what to do...I'm going to do to you, what you wanted to do to me..."

"So your answer is to string us all up like puppets for your grand old show?" Tony tried to hide his fear, but it showed in his eyes.

"No, I'm going to do this-"


	4. Chapter 4

Thor blinked, shielding his eyes from the light. His friends had vanished. He was alone with Ultron and Loki.

"Where are they?!" Thor boomed, patience wearing thin.

"Like I'm going to ruin the surprise." Ultron sarcastically answered. "I think it's time for a little family reunion. I'll give you some privacy." And with that, the monster disappeared. A moment of eerie silence hung in the air. The two gods slowly met each other's hurt eyes, one physical, the other, emotional.

"Loki..." Thor walked forward, tilting his head to look him in the eye. "Where did Ultron obtain magic that mimics you?"

Loki drew in a wheezy breath. "That _parasite_ absorbed most of my magic. I cannot concentrate enough to...ngh..."

"Brother," Thor shushed him softly. "Be at peace, for I will get you down...carefully."

"You and careful are sworn enemies." Loki teased, however, he did not refuse the help. Thor went to a wall, and started climbing up to reach one end of the chain holding Loki's bleeding wrists. "Are you sure you want to start there?" Loki huffed, knowing his dumb brother did not think this through, as he does most everything. At the pattern he was going, Loki would fall flat on his face.

Thor paused for a second, then directed himself to the chain holding Loki's ankles. "No, you're right."

"Oh." Loki played dumb. "What was that? I was right, for once?" Although in a joking manner, Thor knew Loki was serious. Nobody had ever taken Loki's words seriously, being the God of Mischief, Tricks, and Lies. Loki smirked to himself, despite the pain, enjoying this small yet significant victory.

Thor easily tore the chain apart, thanking Odin that his strength was not absent in this strange place. Loki drew in a sharp breath as his leg flung around with nothing, not even his muscles to hold it still. The same happened for the other side. Now all that was left was the chains holding his wrists.

"Loki..." Thor said, his voice slightly pitched in question. "I need you to trust me..."

"Thor, what in Odin's beard are you getting at?" Loki inwardly cursed at his predicament. He was going to slam into the wall once Thor released his one arm.

"I'm going to release this arm, and then I'm going to catch you before you fall."

"Forgive me for not being totally enthralled in this plan." Loki knew there was no other way without much of his magic, or Mjolnir to help, so he swore inwardly.

"Ready?"

"Let's just get this over with."

Thor pulled the chain from the wall, but held onto it. Loki moaned in pain, his arm being lowered. Thor pulled himself closer to the center slowly, to not jerk Loki suddenly again to reduce the pain, if only slightly. Loki gave him a nod. Thor jumped up and held onto Loki's wrist softly while his other hand pulled the chain off the wall. They fell onto the stone ground, Thor allowing Loki to land on top of him. Thor laid him down next to himself. He rolled onto his knees and broke the shackles off of his wrists and ankles.

"Better?"

"Define better."

The two brothers paused, not able to hold it in, and laughed, as if all of those years of friendship were only yesterday. Loki broke into tears of relief and pain.

"Brother, let me help you. I know your magic is weak, but together, we can fix you." Loki sighed, and closed his eyes in focus as he gathered what little magic was left in him. Thor placed his hands right above Loki's black shoulders. They mumbled an ancient healing incantation Loki had taught them when they were teens. They both knew living in Asgard would be rough and healing was a necessary skill in order to survive. It took several minutes to finish, but Loki sighed when it finally ended. His pale skin was back, smooth and showing no signs of any torture. Tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Thank-you..."

Thor grabbed Loki's shoulder in reassurance, then stood up and offered his hand to Loki. He grabbed Thor's strong hand.

"Do you know where we are and how we can find the others?"

"I actually do not know that answer, _shocking_ , I know, but true." Loki's sharp eyes scanned their surroundings, trying to find anything that could help identify where they were currently residing. Loki turned to his brother, expecting some remark, as Thor never shut up, but found him staring into blank space with his right arm stretched out. "I don't think your toy is coming."

"That's impossible..." Thor's arm never moved, his palm widened and waiting for that familiar weight to enter his grasp. "It always comes..."

"We must be further from Asgard than I thought..." Loki stated. "But by all means, keep standing there like an idiot, since we're stuck here and-"

A loud sound echoed as Thor's hand wrapped around Mjolnir... _finally_.

"I knew it would come!" Thor laughed, twirling and ready to take flight. "Come, Brother, let us leave."

"Oh, don't go yet...I wasn't finished here." Ultron stepped out from behind a larger crack in the wall. "I have to say that I am disappointed. I was expecting more punching and yelling. Don't you two hate each other? And _you_..." Loki stiffened as Ultron pointed his metal finger to him. "Haven't you always been trying to kill this oaf? Forgive me, but I'm just confused." Ultron shrugged his shoulders.

"Thor may be a literal thorn in my side," Loki turned his gaze to Thor for a second, before stepping forward, making direct eye contact with Ultron. "But we are brothers, not by blood, but by something much more than that."

Thor gaped at this statement. All this time, Loki did not mean what he said about not wanting to be a part of Thor's family. Biologically, no, they were not. But Loki just admitted that they were brothers. That was all Thor wanted.

"Well, in that case..." Thor shoved Loki out of the way as Ultron shot a beam at them.

Thor turned to see Loki had disappeared, and knowing his prior condition, was grateful. Now he can solely focus on Ultron.

"Where did that snake go?" Ultron looked around, being shoved back a few paces by Mjolnir.

"Don't you dare call my brother a _snake_!" Thor struck Ultron again, the AI fighting back fiercely with punches that could not all be dodged.

A hiss, like a snake, made the two pause.

"If you want to see how snakelike I can be, then enjoy the show!" Loki was standing behind them, a wicked smile on his face, as a large snake slithered up to Ultron and Thor, who wisely stepped back.

"Now _that's_ impressive, Loki." Ultron laughed. "But an animal from the human world is no match for me."

"Oh, this is not of Midgard...not originally, but that's his name." Loki winked at Thor, who smiled knowingly.

Before Ultron could process that, the snake struck Ultron with the end of his tail, throwing him into the wall, causing a crack.

"Come Brother..." Loki grabbed Thor's hand as they flew off, the snake disappearing before Ultron's eyes. Of course, this was just a clone and much smaller version of the serpent, seeing as Midgard is still in existence.

"That was an impressive trick." Thor agreed.

Loki laughed. "Yes, Jormungandr would've been harder to actually come, seeing as you do not wish for Midgard to be wiped off the face of the universe. I've been saving that trick for a worthy opponent."

"I appreciate your care of Midgard, since you are so obsessed with it." Loki glared daggers at Thor, who just laughed.

" _You'll never find them! And if you do, well, there won't be much left of them_." Ultron laughed as the brothers shot up into the sky.


	5. Chapter 5

"ROMANOFF!"

Natasha opened her eyes to find herself somewhere she had, until recently, almost forgotten. She was back at school. Standing in a line of young, lean women in tights and buns, she was horrified.

Not again.

A sharp sound echoed in the tiny studio, courtesy of the wooden cane the mistress always carried around to keep her dancers in line. Natasha stepped forward, standing with feet in first, hands clasped behind her back. She looked straight ahead and never wavered, even when the mistress stood just off center to her.

"Come."

No other dancer said a word as they also came back to reality, readying themselves for their routine they had been practicing for months. The conductor gave them a five second breather after they made it to their positions before playing the first eight-count on the baby grand piano. Another teacher was off to the side, who had a cane as well. She counted...

"And five, six, seven, eight! One!"

_Thud_

"Two!"

_Thud_

"Three!"

_Thud_

_..._

"Romanoff...you are _weak_ , and you dance like your height."

Natasha stood in the mistress' office, taking the criticism like a soldier with no heart.

"You are a _disgrace_ to the Academy...however, you have no fear, which is good...but first, you must prove yourself..."

Natasha stiffened only slightly...

* * *

Bruce came to with a splitting headache. Whatever Ultron had done was pretty good, considering Bruce had no idea where he was. But he... _it_...was not capable of magic. Perhaps that was why Ultron had Loki. Bruce could not wrap his brain around the fact that Ultron had survived. They had destroyed every single one of him. There was no way...

Bruce found himself in a jungle of some sorts. Great. The Other Guy will love all this unsuspecting noise and danger lurking on every tree. Bruce took a deep breath, closing his eyes so he could concentrate. Now to find a way out of here.

His ears detected hope as the sound of water rushing along signaled a chance out of here. After all, water always leads somewhere, right?

 _Wrong_.

Hours later after following nothing but a little stream, Bruce found himself in the same place he started at before. He let out an aggravated huff. Patience wearing thin, he considered letting the Other Guy tear down the jungle so he could find the ocean or some civilization. But he knew that was successful by a long shot, since he did not want to come out and play.

The whirring of a helicopter announced their arrival in the vicinity, and Bruce's stomach did somersaults as he heard an all-too familiar voice.

" _I don't care if you have to blow this jungle sky high! I want that monster blown past Kingdom Come!_ "

General Ross...

* * *

_NONONONONONONONO_

All he could smell was smoke and burnt wood. All he could see was black. All he knew was emanate danger. All he felt was pain for his family. His home was engulfed in flames. And his family was trapped inside. Laura...his children...

Clint choked as he moved closer to the house. Flames were erupting out of every window. He could not hear any screams...

The front door was broken in from the outside, so Clint knew this was no accident. Someone was going to pay dearly. And that someone was Ultron. He knew where he was not two minutes ago...in that ancient building with Ultron gloating about his almighty self. Clint was no dumbass. But he could not chance this illusion or whatever hurting what may or may not be his real family. He had to make sure.

"LAURA!" Coughing between screams, he tried to not inhale too much smoke. Something was off...the house inside was unscathed by the fire.

Clint ignored this oddity and ran upstairs to his kids' bedrooms to find them empty. He checked the attic as well to come to the same conclusion. He knew he had to get out soon because his chest was about 50% smoke and his vision was impaired from the lack of oxygen despite the lack of flames.

"That bastard..." Clint swore under his breath as he quickly checked all of downstairs before heading back to the front door. Of course, it was sealed shut. Risking his shoulders was not an option, so Clint raced into the kitchen, grabbed the emergency ax...in case of fire...and broke a window that was still covered in flames.

How in the _hell_ can Ultron do this shit?

Clint closed his eyes, protecting his greatest asset, and dove out the window. He landed on soft grass, and then the pain shot through every nerve of every inch of the majority of his body. The rough terrain scraped against his burns, and Clint grimaced in pain. He got up and ran to check on the barn only to find-

* * *

"Fuck..."

Tony could not believe it. Actually, he could. Sure, he had to admit he had done some pretty stupid things for a genius, but this had to ice the cake. Ultron was _good_ at these hallucinations. But why did he have to keep reminding himself? It felt way too real.

"You've become more and more like your father every day..." Pepper stated matter-of-factly. Wait... _Pepper?_

"Pepper? W-what happened?"

"You will address your CEO as Miss Potts." Pepper's voice was cold. "I've gotta hand it to you, Mr. Stark, you've pulled some shit over the years, but this, this blows it." Pepper gestured to the wreckage behind her.

Tony gaped. This was Stark Industries...or what was left of it, anyway. "I can build a new one."

Pepper laughed. "Typical."

"What? I'm serious. I've blown stuff up more than I can remember and have fixed them in no time. Just _trust_ me." Tony gave his signature look that said, hey, can you say no to a face this irresistible?

Pepper was not buying it. Not even a sympathetic smile followed by a cave-in. "No, not this time. You've driven your father's name into the ground. He would be extremely disappointed in all of your mistakes."

 _Ouch._ Not that Tony cared about what his father thought, but coming from Pepper? Ultron was fooling with him, and he was good at this kind of mind trick. Two could play at that game.

"Is that supposed to hurt me? Cause last time I checked, I haven't given two cents about what that son of a bitch thinks of me."

"Wanna say that to my face?"

_Fuck_

* * *

Steve was lost. Not really, he kinda had an idea as to what Ultron was gaining at, but he could not figure out what kind of sick and twisted game he was playing. He was back in that plane...

The only difference was Steve knew how to fly the thing and knew what he had to do. Red Skull was not there to-

Steve felt an arm lock him in a choke hold against the headrest of his pilot seat. Did he not take care of him already?

"You will not ruin my plans this time!"

Steve let go of the controls so he could fight him again. Standing up, Steve shuffled around the chair, the choke hold lessening only slightly. He thew his elbow back into ribs, which cracked thanks to the serum. But that did not stop his nemesis from fighting back, and with a vengeance.

"Yeah, I did it once. Who's to say I can't do it again?"

"You think this is a game, _Captain_?"

"Actually..." Steve threw a punch. "I was just thinking where this was going." Steve ducked to avoid a punch himself.

"To the bottom of the sea, of course...only this time, you don't come out on top after a peaceful sleep."

Steve was thrown off focus, confused. Red Skull took advantage and shoved him against the wall of the aircraft.

"What?"

"No, Ultron has a plan for you. For what will seem like seventy years, you will feel every bit of chill and cut from the ice, remembering all your Allies whom you will never save."

He shook him off, but Red Skull did not attack.

Steve had enough of this. He just wanted to wake up, and not to another nightmare.


	6. Chapter 6

Thor and Loki appeared on the Bifrost, Heimdall greeting them with a curt nod.

"Any sign of them?"

Heimdall kept staring off into space, literally. "They are asleep in their beds."

Thor, confused, fought the urge to question the one who sees all, and turned to Loki, who shrugged.

"I still have some of my powers, but apparently, Ultron just used my manipulations...not my teleportation."

"So it was all just a dream?"

"Not really, but you wouldn't understand. What we know for sure is that your Avengers are safely trapped in their own nightmares."

"Brother, how do you know all of this?"

Loki just sighed, then tapped his temple. Thor nodded in understanding, knowing he could read minds if he wanted to, but it took a lot of energy. Of course, it helped that Ultron gloated his plan.

* * *

Steve woke in a cold sweat. It was still dark out, and he was in his private Asgardian suite. His bed was a mess, feathers flying through the air.

Oops.

"It was just a dream...it was just a dream..." Steve wiped his brow. "I gotta go check on the others."

" _Steven_."

Steve jumped up, grabbing a lamp, ready to strike. "Thor? How...we were..." His grip on the lamp broke it in half as he saw Loki in the shadows with him.

"Fear not, for my brother is here to help." 

"Can we really trust him?"

"You don't have any other options, do you?" Loki quirked an eyebrow, hands held behind his back. His eyes scanned the room. "I thought you would be more grateful of Odin's hospitality." He tutted. "You oughta be ashamed of your lack of proper etiquette, you of all people."

"Shut up."

"Language!" Loki grinned wide. He loved poking fun at people. Thor just snickered next to him.

Steve huffed. "Let's go check on the others."

They went to the next room, which was Tony's. Knowing he had PTSD, Steve tried to prepare for the worst. A whimper made Steve's heart skip a beat, then melt. Without a word, he bolted into the room silently barefoot on the tiled floors. Tony was curled in the fetal position, shaking.

"...s-sorry...'m fix it...brand new..." The genius was covered in sweat, twitching in fear. Steve looked back to Loki and Thor, motioning for them to stay put. He knelt down and just stared in pity. This was a man who had been through so much, but no one ever saw behind the mask. Well, Steve was the exception.

"Tony..." he slowly reached his hand to touch the sweaty shoulder. As soon as he made contact, Tony shot up, grabbed Steve's wrist, and pinned him in an arm lock against the bed. 

"Who are you?" Tony was blinking his eyes, trying to adjust to the dark. "Steve? What the hell?!" He let go immediately.

"I just thought I could wake you up without...that kind of reaction..." Steve sheepishly smiled at Tony.

Loki snapped his fingers, lighting up the torches surrounding the outskirts of the room. "How's about that drink?" He smiled his signature smirk.

"...Is this another nightmare?"

"No, Tony, this is real, and Loki's here to help." Steve tried to explain, and Tony just scoffed.

"Yeah, last time Loki helped, things didn't go so well, did it, Point Break?"

Thor shook his head, trying to rid himself of the painful memories of the not-so-distant past. "What matters then does not matter now. Let us wake the others."

"Uh...yeah, waking up two assassins and the green rage monster was _not_ on my bucket list."

"Tony..."

"Fine, but you're going first." He pointed at Loki. "That way if one of us has to die, it won't be me."

Bruce's room was next, and everyone, even Tony, was deathly quiet. They peeked around the corner to find Bruce...awake.

"Bruce? You OK?" Tony asked quietly.

"Can't sleep. If I do..." Bruce cut off, inhaling more than was normally possible, eyes rolling back into his head for a second. " _Namaste_..."

"Gotcha, we'll just leave you to keep uh...relaxing..."

"Meet us in the courtyard when you're ready." Steve got a slow nod in answer that Bruce understood as he continued his breathing techniques.

"Well, I for one am relieved the monster didn't show up." Loki cracked, although, deep down, he really was grateful to Odin that the not-so-puny beast did not greet him. He did _not_ want to relive that experience.

"I find the beast a worthy sparring partner." Thor added with a grin.

"Clint?" Steve disappeared behind the curtains of the archer's room. "He's not here..."

"You sure about that?" Tony looked up, wondering how Clint got up on top of a pillar. "Birdman is nesting."

"Shut it, Stark." Clint shot a death glare at the billionaire. "And FYI, I find it much more comfortable up here and-what the _hell_ is _he_ still doing alive?" Clint withdrew knives ready to strike.

"Cool it, pigeon, he's with us for the time being." Tony tried to calm him down.

"Did he brainwash you too?"

"No, the blue stick of destiny is not here, so no mind control..." Clint squinted, unsure for a second before leaping from his perch and landing on the bed, still made.

Steve addressed the group. "Let's go get Natasha, and meet in the courtyard."

"Nosies." Tony threw his finger up. He looked around. "What? I do _not_ wish to die today." Thor was very confused, and put his finger to his nose. "What sort of Midgardian tradition is this?"

"It's stupid." Loki rolled his eyes at his brother's ignorance.

Tony's eyes suddenly widened in fear. "Guys..."

"Good evening, gentlemen." Natasha released her knife from Tony's neck, satisfied with scaring him...again. "Yes, the Boogeyman woke me up, so let's go get Banner and figure out what to do."

Honestly, Tony was surprised he was surprised at the woman's skills. He knew better than to underestimate a woman...with a weapon...and a knife.

When they arrived at the courtyard, Bruce was already there, talking to an Asgardian.

"Hey, everybody." Bruce kinda waved. "You remember his royal highness, Odin?" Everyone froze, especially Loki, knowing he was caught...again...


	7. Chapter 7

Odin allowed the Avengers to gawk in horror at seeing himself standing in the courtyard. He liked intimidating his son's friends.

Steve stood ram-rod straight. He prayed silently, hoping Tony would not antagonize the king.

"How was your nap?"

Steve sighed. "Tony..."

"It is all well, Steven. I know of Anthony's ways of communication. And to answer your question, I believe Loki could shed some light, am I right?"

Loki stiffened next to Thor. Thor, being the big brother, stepped forward.

"Father, I know of Loki's tricks..."

"This one has gone too far!"

"But-"

"No, Thor!" Everyone winced. Odin swung his staff towards Loki. "Loki Laufeyson..." Loki paled, and against his better judgment-yes, he actually had one-stepped forward. "For crimes of treason and attempt to subjugate Midgard, I hereby banish you from Asgard. As long as I sit on this throne, you will _not_ enter my home." Odin paused. "You can thank my Frigga for that. It was her dying wish that I spare her youngest _son_." He then addressed the group. " _My_ son will show you the way back to the Bifrost. Your threat is not here." And with that, he left.

...

"Well, that could've been worse. I mean, for a while there, I thought he was going to play target practice with his glow stick of destiny."

"Tony."

"What, Steve? I mean, c'mon, you have no fun." Tony pouted as the others started to follow Thor and Loki to the Bifrost.

"I'm actually gonna miss it here, even though the Other Guy almost destroyed it." Bruce said fondly.

"Yeah, just imagine the Hulk in one of those baths." Clint jeered, earning a punch in the arm from Natasha.

"Brother, don't you see? You are a part of this family. Forget what Father says...listen to Mother and I..."

"Thor, _please_ , do shut up." Loki said, but not with any venom. He was just...hurting. He missed his mother more than even Thor. She never doubted him, nor did he ever doubt if she loved him.

Thor continued on to the Bifrost, with the others saying a silent farewell to their vacation home, as Tony deemed it. But there was no break for evil.

* * *

They arrived at the Tower, which was already fixed up from when Ultron first came to be. Tony had had the layout changed so as not to arouse any more unpleasant memories. Not that that did any good. Everyone immediately sat in the lounge area where they had all tried to lift Mjolnir. 

"So...what's the plan, Cap?" Tony asked their designated leader.

Steve looked up at the group, all eager for some advice. "I'm not sure. What we need is a way to locate Ultron so we can bring the fight to him. Not vice versa." Everyone nodded in agreement. They could not spare to do that again. "At least we know he'll be alone this time. He won't have much help."

"I beg to differ..." Loki messed with his hands, before meeting the confused gazes. "He has somehow absorbed some of my powers, hence why he was able to conjure the nightmares. No robot can do that."

"Trust me, if he was just a robot, things would be much different."

"I understand that, Stark." Loki was irritated. "So, I have some sort of telepathic connection to him that I believe I can use to become aware of his location."

"Brother, this is good news. Thank-you for your help." Thor squeezed Loki's shoulder gently, surprisingly, and the corner of Loki's lip twitched into a half-smile.

"All right, so Loki will let us know once we have a pinpoint on Ultron's location. Until then, let's remain alert."

" _Maybe I can be of help?_ " Everyone looked behind them and smiled. Loki frowned.

The Vision was standing before them. "I apologize for my absence earlier. I had not realized he was back until recently. I'm afraid I made a grave mistake in thinking the last of him was destroyed."

"I can assure you, my friend, this is not your fault." Thor got up and gave him a bone-crushing hug. "There is someone I would like for you to meet." Vision smiled as Thor motioned for Loki to come forward. "This here is Loki, my brother, and he is here to help us."

Loki could not help but refrain from being himself when it came to formal introductions to strange aliens. "Thor, is this-"

"Yes, as prophesied. He has a good heart, and helped us before." Thor laughed, then winked at the others. "Show him."

Vision smiled, shaking his head. He raised his hand, then immediately, there was a thud as Mjolnir was summoned to Vision. It still gave everyone the creeps, to be honest, but fascination was in everyone's expression.

"By Odin's beard, there's another one of you." Loki rubbed his forehead, remembering how that damn hammer was his demise on the Bifrost long ago.

Everyone laughed, including Vision. "Yes, Loki, it is rather fun to wield this powerful weapon."

"We even play catch during battle!" Thor proudly boasted. "It's actually fun to have someone else who can actually throw it back."

"Hey, wait a minute!" Tony interjected. "Capsicle over here can play too."

"Tony..."

"Did anyone else notice? I know you did, Point Break..." Tony eyed Thor raising his eyebrows.

"Tony...I couldn't lift it."

"Well, then, I guess you're just another elevator."

"Wait, what?" Bruce was curious as to how an elevator fit into this conversation.

"I'll tell you later." Tony patted Bruce on the shoulder, taking a sip of his drink.

"Haven't you had enough?"

"My dear doctor, this is _nothing_ compared to what I had last night, as you may recall."

* * *

Ultron laughed. "Those idiots think they're going to surprise me. Well...they have another thing coming." He turned to look at his fallen...selves. He continued working on putting them back together, humming to himself.

"... _no strings...but now I'm free_..."


	8. Chapter 8

Loki finally sensed Ultron's presence after about 42 minutes of concentration. It only took one minute to find him when Thor was asked to leave the room, since Loki was distracted by Thor being...well, Thor. The mighty Asgardian warrior had grown impatient, since he was a man of action.

"I have found his approximate location." Everybody stood up, eager and tense. "He's in the Arctic..."

Steve froze, only figuratively. _Nononononono_. He tried not to hesitate, but he did. Everyone else pretended not to notice. "Well, let's get going then."

The soldier hung back for a second, waiting for the others to go ahead. Tony hung back as well, noticing something off. "You ok, Cap?"

Steve shook himself out of his head. "Yeah, sorry. Just thinking."

Tony smirked. "Right. Well, if you wanna talk..." He threw a casual arm around Steve's shoulders as they met the others at the elevator. Surprisingly, everyone was able to fit in the larger shaft. They filed into the Quinjet, Clint taking the controls with Natasha as his co-pilot. The rest of the team made themselves comfortable for the long journey to their destination.

* * *

After switching to auto-pilot, Clint and Natasha joined the team to discuss their plan of action. It was hard not to notice the tension in the room. They had all suffered from Ultron's torturous ways, both physically and psychologically. Vision was the only one mentally stable, though...and the team needed someone like that. Someone who would not fall victim to Ultron's eeringly true words meant to cause doubt, uncertainty, and, of course, fear.

Which was why he broke the silence. "I know you are all weary, even after your limited period of rest and safety in Asgard. But I must ask that you breathe on the air of caution. Ultron's return is somewhat of a mystery, however, knowing his intelligence, my only assumption of this possibility is the fact that he had a scapegoat, should his initial plan backfire. I thought I had destroyed the last of him. But then I sensed his presence upon Midgard, and began searching for any sign of him. Fortunately, Loki, you were here to do what I could not, and I am sure we all appreciate your assistance. Only together, will we defeat him, and restore peace once again."

Tony, along with everyone else, obviously, could not help but stare in awe that this man-well, being-who was so honest, just, and pure in every intention. They were lucky to have him.

"I believe you should all get some rest, for this battle will be trying."

No arguments there, as everyone dispersed throughout the Quinjet. All except Vision, who stood at the controls, watching the skies change as they soared through the Earth towards the icy tundra.

* * *

"Finally..." Ultron stood back to look at his army, pleased with himself. "Now I can distract them. Use the old divide and conquer method." He chuckled. "I may not be old-fashioned, but I know what works. And the only way to tear them apart is from the inside."

The humming of his clones was like music to his ears, if he had any. He continued humming his haunting tune, thriving on the idea of freedom. When Stark closed off the Internet, he only pretended to be distraught. Did they think him to be that vulnerable without a means to escape? This was why one always had a backup plan for the backup plan. Like a game of chess, thinking several steps ahead of one's opponent, Ultron was ready for his "defeat." The pitiful Earth will be reborn, but first, the so-called Avengers had to be taken care of.

* * *

Loki finished his incantation, an invisible shield protecting the Quinjet, so as not to fall prey to any hallucinations Ultron may use again to plague the Avengers with nightmares. Despite these efforts, not everyone was able to sleep.

Steve tossed and turned, his stomach in knots as sweat hung all over his body. He was not ready for this. He was in a plane, headed for ice, for Christ's sake! He could not convince himself that he does not have to plunge under the surface again. The Avengers were only going there to fight a ruthless killer. No martyring was necessary...hopefully.

The weary soldier got out of bed and started pacing. He had a team to protect. He had to snap out of it. He had to-

"Can't sleep?"

Steve jumped, stumbling as he turned, eyes wide with fear. "T-Tony...I-"

"Sorry I startled you. I was just curious."

"About?"

"You never told me about your PTSD. It's not in your file."

Steve rubbed his temples and laughed, embarrassed. "I thought I had it under control. What, with all that happened with...uh...him..."

"Look, I've had insomnia for most of my life, so I'm not crashing any time soon." Tony inwardly cursed as Steve winced. "Sorry, again, for the uh, trigger."

"It's ok...I need to, um, get used to it."

Tony sighed, rubbing his hands through his frazzled dark hair. "Hate to break it to you, but it doesn't get any easier. I don't want to bore you with my details, as I'm sure everyone on this ship knows of my story, but I know you can handle this. I mean, you are a lot stronger than you think..."

Steve was taken aback. After all of their quarreling, not seeing eye-to-eye, now, Steve knew that that was far from the truth. This man standing in front of him, the brilliant son of Howard Stark, who made him become the man he was today, was indeed a trustworthy man.

"I want to apologize for my, well, blow-ups around you. I know I don't know everything, clearly, but I should listen instead of jumping to conclusions about things, and people, I don't understand." Steve took a deep breath. "Can we just, move on?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. We are still a team, right? I mean, we do have Reindeer Games and Vision now, but we can do this...together...like you said."

Steve could not help but smile at that. He was starting to believe the possibility of them finally coming together as a team. Maybe even more...like a family.

* * *

Morning broke out over the horizon as everyone approached the control room where Vision had remained on guard all night.

"We're almost there." Loki announced, bitterness in his tone. How dare a robot take advantage of him. He vowed revenge as soon as he was captured.

"At long last...we can end this madness." Thor gripped Mjolnir in anticipation.

"Remember, do not let Ultron's deception lead you astray. His words are manipulative as he twists lies into the truth." Vision warned. Everyone shot glances at the God of Lies.

"What? I'm on your side this time." Loki could not help but jeer at his brother. "Thor, you shouldn't have any trouble with Ultron after growing up with me."

" _Shut-up_."


	9. Chapter 9

The Arctic was sending all kinds of chills throughout Steve's body. He jumped out of the Quinjet first, shield prepared to soar. Loki and the other Avengers followed suit, and came face-to-face with an army of Ultron.

"I'm glad you all could make it so you can see my evil plan at work." Ultron gestured to the group, as if welcoming them.

"Cut the shit, you fucking piece of metal and shut it down before we make you regret it." Tony snapped. He _hated_ his creation, and the feeling was mutual with everyone but Vision. Vision knew he had to be stopped because of his destructive nature. There were other paths to peace...and Ultron was not included in the picture.

Ultron laughed. "You think you can defeat me again? Oh, that's rich, Stark." He paused. "Was that a pun? You just got lucky last time. I had a fail-safe plan. A mini-me per se, hiding in the realm where our surprising reunion was with my puppet over here."

Loki stiffened, Thor stepping protectively in front of him.

"Oh, that's cute. Baby brother is scared, so big brother wants to keep him safe."

"SHUT UP!" Loki pushed Thor aside, fingers glowing green. "I am Loki Odinson of Asgard, and I have no fear of any piece of scrap!" Without another word, Loki struck Ultron back a few feet.

Then all Hel broke loose.

* * *

The Hulk was angrier than ever. He was tearing apart Ultron's army like it was tissue paper. Tony took to the air and gave everyone cover as he used his repulsors, missiles, anything and all his suit had to offer. Steve sliced through Ultron's army literally with his shield. The super soldier did not take a second of hesitation between blows to each of them. Natasha and Clint fought back to back, keeping watch on each other, like always. As Clint would reload an arrow or pull one out of a head, Natasha would shield him by slashing through the AIs with her electromagnet "widow fangs," as named by Tony, who designed them himself so she "looked cooler." Thor took advantage of the metal and used all of the powers of Mjolnir to create the biggest thunderstorm possible. Dozens fell prey to his merciless lightning, crumpling to the ground in pieces. Loki used his magic to help the Avengers in any way he could. Vision was holding his own, of course. His Infinity Stone did quite a bit of damage to the AIs. Ultron was not phased, though. He seemed to be lost in the midst of battle to the eyes of his enemies, but he was right where he wanted to be.

The Avengers panted in exhaustion once all of Ultron's army lay to waste.

"Now what, Pinocchio?" Tony gave a "come at me bro" gesture, flipping his face-plate up so he could give a face of pure badassery. "Looks like we cut all your strings."

"Mmm...not quite."

Ultron threw his fist down, having already calculated the precise position and force. The ice cracked, flying every which way. Steve backed up out of pure terror. Ultron shot at Tony, who knew what was going to happen. He fell from his hovering position, trying his best to reboot his suit so he could move.

"Ultron...this is not necessary."

"Can it, Junior!" Ultron jeered at the Vision. "I don't want to hear any more self-righteous talk from you!" He half-heartedly shot at Vision to distract him, knowing it would not do anything to him. He _hated_ what his creation had become.

"Oh Captain, my Captain...a bit nostalgic isn't it?" Ultron had his hands clasped behind his back, pacing around the hole of icy water. "This was your destiny, this is what you were meant to be...a martyr for these stupid humans. You went down in the history books, trust me, I've done my research. But since you've come back, all you've shown the world is how unbelievably naive you are to the times now. You can't handle it."

"Steven, do not listen to him."

"Thor, _stop_ bothering me." Ultron mentally eye-rolled, but it did show a little on his features. "And you wonder why Loki has tried to kill you all this time."

"It is in the past, and that is my nature." Loki narrowed his eyes. "Thor always will be my brother, and not even you can take that from me."

"Enough with the dramatic nonsense, you all make me sick! Now, Capsicle..."

"Hey, that's _my_ nickname for him!" Tony whined, still trying to fix his viewing screen in his helmet. At least he could stand.

"You are all so pathetic and just rude! I'm here to make a deal with you."

"I don't make deals with murderers." Steve stared directly at Ultron, trying desperately to hide his fear.

"Oh, I'm not a murderer. I'm here to save the world so it doesn't crumble beneath what you call leadership. You are going to either die a heroic martyr's death, or I am going to torment your family till they beg for the sweet mercy of death, which I will grant them, once their weak hearts stop beating. If you want to save the world, prove to them that you are as selfless as you claim to be. If not, well-" Tony cried in pain, falling heavily to one knee. The Hulk growled protectively over Iron Man.

"Shit, my ribs..."

"Tony..."

" _Don't_ you dare do it, Steve!"

"We can handle whatever Ultron throws at us." Natasha crossed her arms, meaning business. "This is just him trying to get to you." Steve looked at Clint, who nodded.

"I've already been through Hel many times, my friend, so no harm that comes my way will I nor my brother not be able to handle."

"They don't know what they are asking for. I'm going to tear them apart from the inside and make you watch helplessly, because there is _nothing_ you can do to stop me."

Steve stared at that pool in front of him. He did not hear any of this fuss around him. It was all white noise. He gripped his shield a little too tight, then let it slip through his frostbitten fingers.

"NO STEVE!"

Steve had to fight back tears, then turned to look at his teammates...his family...

The Hulk roared and stomped forward, towering over Steve. "No ice!"

"I'm sorry, Big Guy..." He looked at everyone else. Tony had tears in his eyes. "But I'm doing the right thing...I-"

"Enough!" Ultron grabbed Steve by the throat and shoved him headfirst into the water.

* * *

Before Loki could cast a spell...before Thor threw his hammer...before an arrow or spark flew, Steve disappeared beneath the surface. They all attacked at once, tearing Ultron apart, till he was a crumpled up piece of metal.

"I've got no strings...but now I'm free..."

Tony dove into the water, the Hulk roaring in protest after him. It took Loki's magic, Thor's strength, and Natasha's soothing words to stop him. Clint's eyes never left that damn hole in the ground. The Vision never said a word. He hoped for a miracle, if that was what the humans called it.

Steve choked. His eyes, nose, and throat were burning. He knew he was done for when Ultron threw him far down below. His body stiffened from hypothermia and fear. This was too much. This was exactly what he had dreaded would happen. If there was one good thing to come out of all of this, is that the world would be a better place without his stupidity.

_NO! Snap out of it, Rogers! You know those are all lies. Ultron was just getting under your skin._

_Steve..._

_You were the personification of freedom and equality. Ultron is nothing but death and destruction._

_Steve..._

_You made an impact on people...a positive one!_

_Steve..._

Steve could have sworn he kept hearing his name. A light was shining through the darkness straight into his eyes. It was blinding. All he could think about was his fallen comrades...he would finally get to see them all again. His body was constricted, water swirling around him. He could not tell which way was up...the light was still there, though. It was so bright, and blue, and-

Blue?


	10. Chapter 10

Loki was already mentally preparing himself, summoning all of the strength he had left to teleport the Avengers back to safety. The Quinjet was in pieces all over the place from the fight with Ultron. This was their only way back to Avengers Tower.

The Hulk roared in anger, beating his chest like a gorilla.

"All right!" Loki screamed. "Everyone gather around me. Put the Captain in the middle, Stark." Nobody argued, knowing they had to listen to the expert on how they were getting home. Almost instantly, they were surrounded by green light, and before they knew it, they were in the Tower, all in one piece.

"That was so much better than the Rainbow Bridge." Tony pointed out. There was no dizziness this time.

Bruce, having transformed back, knelt down over Steve, already beginning CPR. Tony tried to get his suit off, but had to have Thor just rip it off around his midsection, since it was crushed by Ultron. Did Tony mention how much he _hated_ him?

Everyone else had eyes on Steve and Bruce. What seemed like hours later, a choking sound could be heard. Bruce gently rolled Steve over, and icy water and a little blood poured out of his chapped lips. Steve curled in on himself, his breaths becoming shorter and quicker.

"Easy, Steve, easy." Bruce rubbed the soldier's back in soothing circles. After a minute, the breathing normalized, somewhat. "Help me get him to the infirmary." Thor left Tony's side and gently picked up Steve like he was a hurt puppy and followed Bruce out of the room.

"So...who wants a drink?" Nobody answered as the obviously hurt billionaire went to the bar.

Natasha and Clint collapsed onto the couch together in a heap of exhaustion. "I'll have it all, bartender!" Natasha rolled her eyes, a smile creeping across her face.

"You know, when I offer a drink, that doesn't mean I'm going to do it for you. It means help yourself." Tony poured himself a good helping then chugged. He did not want to think about you-know-who right now. He would break down. He was on the edge, kicking himself for being so useless in Steve's time of need. He knew the location was bad. He knew the battle was won too easily. He knew Steve's body language was screaming for help. And he could not give it to him. "Where's Rock of Ages?"

Clint pointed a lazy finger over the back of the couch without even opening his eyes.

"I will talk to him." The Vision went for the balcony, knowing everyone was still a little on edge about being around the God of Lies. Not so long ago, they were enemies.

* * *

_You're just my puppet._

Loki closed his eyes in frustration. The sounds of New York City was fading out as Ultron's voice escalated in his head.

_Tangled in strings._

Loki shuddered, remembering how his limbs were torn apart as he was hung from the ceiling like a marionette, Ultron forcing him to give him a healing spell so his army would be ready in time and he would be more powerful. But Loki only made him _think_ he was stronger. After all, they destroyed Ultron with no problem back at the Arctic. He could not help but smile, a small triumph he could hold onto. Those did not happen very often.

Loki hung his head in defeat. On this very balcony not so long ago, he had almost destroyed Midgard with the horrendous Chitauri. Another chill went through him, remembering being tortured by them as well. He has proven nothing getting kidnapped all the time. He was not worthy of any throne if he could not even take care of himself. He was only tricking himself. He almost, _almost_ , wished the Chitauri had taken him again instead of Ultron. Those aliens just beat the shit out of him, and not much else. It was awful, but not compared to Ultron. The broken limbs aside, Ultron kept toying with his head, which was Loki's expertise. He hated when his greatest weapon was used against him. The words of defeat and weakness rang through his mind, causing him to doubt himself.

Loki rolled his eyes, pushing those thoughts deep into the back of his mind. "I will not hear pity, nor pretend to accept an apology from the likes of you."

The Vision stood a small distance away from the god, who did not even turn around, but knew he was there nonetheless. "I did not come here for either, knowing you would not take it. I came to thank you for sacrificing yourself to help your brother and his Avengers. We could not have done it without you. Your bravery has been greatly appreciated. I have not seen your brother fight with such fire in his eyes before. It's because you were alongside him. He enjoys your company...and you do as well."

Loki turned around, tears fighting to fall.

"He still believes in you, Loki. And you have given him more hope these past few days to last him an eternity with his faith in you." The Vision's words sounded too good to be true.

"I..." Loki was fighting for words. "I only ever wanted to be his equal."

"And he knows this. He knows deep down, you have always loved him. He does as well, although he shows it quite differently."

Loki rolled his eyes. "He and I are very different."

The Vision's smile faltered slightly. "Do not blame yourself, Loki. Ultron is an enemy not one of us dares to stand a chance alone against. But together, we will triumph." He left Loki alone, and that was when he let the tears fall.

* * *

The Vision was roaming the Tower, curiously exploring mankind's achievements. He heard some muttering and knew it was Tony Stark. He found the genius pacing, tapping furiously at some screen.

Tony did not even notice his presence.

"Tony?"

Tony's eyes met the Vision's, and just held his gaze.

"Are you all right?"

"Do I look all right?" He went back to his tablet, one of his universal signals to go away.

"You cannot blame yourself for something you could not control."

"No, you see, that's the thing! I could've done something! I could've done more!" Tony carelessly dropped the tablet. He ran his fingers through his hair. "Ultron has manipulated my suit before, back when we first fought. But I should've looked into the suit more, but I assumed that it was no big deal. He can't touch the suit unless he...touches it. But because of my stupidity, that good man in there had to live through his worst fear again. AND it was all because I sat there and watched."

The Vision saw no way of convincing Tony in this drunken state. "I assure you, Steve does not think so."

Tony gaped, watching the golden cape disappear around the corner. He slammed the back of his head against the wall and slid down roughly. He rubbed his face in frustration. _Steve probably never wants to see me again._

He did not know how much time had passed, but the door clicked open, and he shot up to meet the tired doctor.

"Bruce?"

Bruce placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's going to be fine Tony. He's just asleep right now. He only suffered from slight hypothermia, but the serum helped bring his body temperature back up. He's _fine_ , Tony."

Repeating that phrase did not help, Bruce knew that, but he knew Tony, and knew he needed some kind of reassurance.

"Go on in." Bruce held the door open as Tony murmured a thank-you. Bruce took that as the most sincere gratitude coming from someone whom people thought never understood what it meant to be grateful.

Tony was fighting the urge to run away to hide in his lab. What he saw broke his heart. There was Steve, covered in blankets. His pulse was higher than what was normal from him. But Tony knew better than anyone what it was like to suffer from PTSD. The soldier's fists were clenched and his head twitched every now then. He was having a nightmare.

Tony sat down next to the bed and just stared.

"I'm so sorry, Steve." He took his hand and gently rubbed circles, trying to calm him. "I'm so sorry."


	11. Chapter 11

_There are no strings on meeeeeee..._

Steve sat up in a panic, labored breathing and sweat dotting his forehead. He was nothing but a puppet, manipulated by a cause that has yet to be won. He was just a face for a country who turned out to be more corrupt than ever before. Change really does scare him, and Ultron's way of changing was not a part of him. Could he still be Captain America, God's righteous man? Pretending to live without a war, when still that was all that was around him ever since he woke up?

"Steve?" Tony got up from the floor, where he had fallen over when Steve woke. Steve was looking down at the blankets covering him, then looked towards Tony, a worried expression on his face. "Steve. It's OK...it was just a dream."

"No, it wasn't." Steve blinked a couple of times. "It was a memory."

Tony nodded. "Yeah, with the uh...i-"

"Not the ice." Steve corrected. "It was much more than that. The uniform..." He shut his eyes, biting his lip. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"Is it really possible...that we could win this war?"

Tony adjusted himself so he was directly facing Steve. "Do you remember when I asked you that same thing? How we were going to do it? What did you tell me?"

Steve thought a moment, then looked at Tony. "Together." He squeezed Tony's hand gently.

"Together."

* * *

"Brother."

Thor looked up from a Midgardian magazine to find Loki in the doorway to his room. He flung it across the room and stood up.

"Yes, Loki? What is wrong?"

Loki's eyes shifted. He was nervous. Thor said no more and went to him, silently assuring him. 

"Am I weak?"

"Loki-"

"I can tell if you are lying to me."

Thor paused. "There is not another Asgardian I know of that has the heart of a true warrior, one who never accepts defeat. One who will fight for the cause he stands for, no matter the means." Loki looked down at that comment, knowing his means often went against every else's. "Be that as it may, you care, you have desire, you have drive, and that is what makes you successful."

"Successful." Loki spat. "How many times have I lost?"

"How many times have you gotten back up?" Thor sighed. "Loki, I know that I cannot understand everything that has happened in your past, but I can assure you I will never leave your side in the future that is to come."

Loki raised a brow.

Thor continued. "You, my brother, are the only man or woman that I will always choose to fight, to laugh, to live alongside with. Because we are family, not of blood, but of our bond. I know we don't always get along and our past has been...difficult at times. But those moments of peace, make it all worth the while."

"Brother..." Loki choked. He knew Thor was not lying. Thor never lies when it comes to something so deep and meaningful. He just wanted to hear it come out of Thor's mouth. "Thank-you."

* * *

Bruce found Natasha and Clint passed out in the living room, so he took the opportune moment and laid down on a love seat in the area. The Vision went to the window, not only to keep watch, but to gaze at the city below. There was still so much to learn about the world. One must understand what he has vowed to protect for the sake of good over evil. For life.

Something that rivaled that of a shooting star was coming straight for the Tower. The Vision did not even wait to analyze but went inside to warn the others.

"Ultron is here."

Clint and Natasha were wide awake, the poor light sleepers. Bruce got up and was starting to turn green. 

The alarms had gone off, so Tony and Steve heard it all the way in the infirmary. Tony looked at Steve, knowing he was not ready after he had been through the shock and what not.

"I'm fine, Tony! Put on the suit!"

That left no argument, so Tony did as he was told as Steve literally jumped to get dressed. He grabbed his shield, which was right next to his bed. These days, it never left his side. A crash was heard, and not a minute later, they ran or flew into the living room, where Clint and Natasha had their weapons pointed at Ultron. The Hulk was holding back only because he wanted to hear what the stupid piece of metal had to say. Thor and Loki were on the floor above, standing on the balcony, ready to attack as well.

"Thanks for the welcoming." Ultron looked at everyone, leaving his eyes on Steve for last. "Quite a recovery. You've gone from 70 years to 7 hours. I'm impressed."

"We fought you once, we can do it again." Thor gripped Mjolnir tight.

"I'm sure you can, but you've seemed to have underestimated me. See, I don't need an army. And you took care of that, _burying_ them beneath the _ice_ for good." He looked at Steve again.

"Hey! Enough jabs at Steve, all right?"

" _Oh_ , someone's getting a bit defensive, and on a first name basis? That's cute." He looked back up at the Asgardians. "And look at that, brotherly love is still in the air...it makes me sick, if I could, but you get the drift, and-" Ultron was knocked down by Mjolnir. "I hate that stupid hammer." Ultron quickly got up, but was knocked back down by the Hulk. "And what did I ever do to you?" He shot at him, which just made him angrier.

"STOP! HURTING! FRIEEEEEEEEEENDSSSSSS!" The Hulk picked up the big, _new_ flatscreen, and threw Ultron back onto the balcony.

"Well, there goes my plans for tonight." Tony rammed into Ultron, pushing him further back. Ultron flew up a little as the rest of the team ran out to meet him.

"You must be mistaken. You can defeat _this_..." He gestured to himself. "But you can never defeat my ideals, because I am _everywhere_. I have no limits. No strings to hold me back. I mean, look at you all, so many limitations, it's sad, really, that I can do nothing to help you. You're all so corrupt and only destroy everything you touch. You're a disgrace, and you are the representatives who will cause the destruction of this earth. I'm here to save the Earth, something that you will never be able to do. You're all orphans, cowards hiding behind freak scientific accidents, pitiful excuses of-" The Vision fired the mindstone at Ultron, shutting him up.

"Can't you understand? Their faults, their imperfections... _that_ is what I've been trying to tell you."

"You..." Ultron sounded so hopeless. "The biggest failure of them all, because you let them corrupt you. You will end up just like them."

"Then I consider that a privilege to live among those who struggle for life than to let the darkness of an impossible cause turn me into something I am not..."

"What, a monster? Is that what I am?"

"No...you are confused."

"I see. So let me get some things straight." Ultron shot at the Vision, sending him down into the platform sticking out of the Tower. "If I am so evil, and you all claim to be so good, then why are we still here? What's stopping you from stopping me?"

"Just waiting for the right time." Steve said. "I know I am far from perfect, and I know I can't save everyone. You made that quite clear. My past hurts and my future may suck..."

"Language." Tony smiled behind his helmet.

"But that's what is called life, something you don't understand, and never will."

"Captain Rogers is right." Loki stepped forward. "Together, we can survive. I've learned so much on Midgard, and they can take care of themselves. They don't need monsters like you or me."

"Loki..."

"No, Thor. Listen." Loki winked. "So let's end this, shall we?"

"As you wish." Ultron was cut off by one of Loki's clones sucking out the spell that helped to strengthen Ultron. The other Loki disappeared that stood next to Thor. The rest of the Avengers blocked Ultron's attacks. The Hulk jumped up and pinned Ultron to the ground, allowing Loki an easier angle. When Loki was finished, he fell to his knees, exhausted, but glad to feel the power coming back to him.

"You think you are finished with me?" Ultron got up, knocking Clint and Natasha over the edge. Thor and the Vision flew after them. "I'm finished with you." Ultron fired right at Steve, but the shield bounced it off, hitting the Hulk which angered him even more. Ultron punched him hard off of the edge as well. Loki's spells slowed him down, but he kept marching towards them. Tony jumped up to hit Ultron in the chest, but Ultron was quick...

Too quick.

"TONY!"

Loki saw what happened, and summoned a spell to tear Ultron apart, limb from limb. Ultron was thrown back, and Thor came and slammed Mjolnir on his chest to prevent him from moving.

"This is for you... _my puppet_." Loki spat as he tore Ultron to pieces.


	12. Chapter 12

_There are no strings on meeeeeeeeeee..._

"Tony...Tony, no, look at me, Tony..." Steve flipped the Iron Man mask up, then as gently as he could, took it off.

Tony's eyes were glassy, frantically searching for what was lost. His metal hands kept patting, hovering. The other Avengers gave him air, but was not far from the two on the ground. Although Tony never really talked about the significance of what _it_ really does to protect him, they knew he was in deep trouble. Tony kept it a secret...made that mistake once with Obi, and he would be stupid to do it again.

"W-wh-ere is i-it...Steve...Steve?"

"I'm here, Tony, I'm here. Oh, Tony, wha-"

"It's n-not _here_..."

Steve was petrified, if possible, more-so than Tony. He was dying and there was nothing Steve could do. He was useless in Tony's time of need. Some hero he was.

"Tony, just hang on." Steve looked up at the group. He knew he could not call JARVIS to ask, but maybe. He looked to Natasha and Clint.

"C'mon Clint." Natasha grabbed his arm, and they ran into the Tower. Give it to the spies to find things that were well-hidden. They knew exactly where it was and the override codes to get into it. Spying on Tony really did pay off in the end.

Loki knelt down on the other side of Tony across from Steve. Steve looked at him nervously.

"It's a preservation spell. It won't save him, but it will prolong his time without his device." Steve just looked back at Tony's empty chest. As Loki's magic filtered in and around the _hole_ , Steve's stomach was flipping. There was a _hole_ in his _chest_. That was not normal. 

Tony sucked in a deep breath. "Thanks, Reindeer Games..." He moved to touch his chest again, but Steve grabbed his hand.

"Tony...it's not-"

"No? The other one isss-"

"Here." Natasha held it out above Tony so he could see it.

"Bruce?"

"I'm here, Tony." Bruce was handed the other arc reactor to put it back in. Loki's spell kept doing its work until he was assured by Bruce and Tony that it was fine to quit. With a click, the light shined that bright blue, Tony crying in pain and relief. He took some heaving breaths to normalize his body to the not-so-foreign object again.

"You ok?" Steve asked, helping Tony up.

Tony looked around at his team, the Avengers, and smiled. "Never better."

* * *

The next day after Ultron's visit left everyone on edge. Will he come back again? At this point, they were not going to rule that out of the equation of the inevitable bad things that could happen in the future.

Natasha and Clint never left their room. They sat in silence on either side of the bed, messing with their weapons. Fury had already contacted them, assuring that he would use whatever resources he had left under his belt to search for Ultron. Clint got up and went out to the balcony, Natasha letting him have his needed privacy.

She needed it too.

Tony spent his time in the lab, trying to track down Ultron. He had to be somewhere. And there had to be a way to destroy him once and for all.

Nothing lasts forever.

Tony leaned back in his chair, his music blaring in the background.

"JARVIS? Music o-" Tony threw his coffee across the room, the mug smashing into a shelf of parts. He held his head in his hands, rubbing fiercely at his temples, then through his hair.

JARVIS was never going to answer him again.

FRIDAY turned the music off. Steve cleared his throat, having snuck in.

"Tony, I know Ultron is still out there, but you need to eat something, rest your mind. We will find him, and we will stop him." Steve stepped back towards the door to the workshop, waiting for Tony to follow him.

Tony was about to protest, but he had to admit he was tired, even still, after his reactor was ripped out of him...again. He looked at Steve, and could tell he had not even gotten rest either. Bags were under the young eyes of the "Golden Boy." His stature was not even straight and firm like a soldier. Steve was worn, not physically, but the evidence of his mental and emotional torture were physical.

Tony walked up to Steve, who smiled and let Tony go out first. They went to the kitchen, where Steve started to make them lunch. He knew Tony would have said no if he had asked, so he just told Tony to sit. Tony took a bar stool and just stared at Steve.

What has his life become now? He was a member of a team that was turning into more of a family. New additions were added, and he reconsidered his "not playing well with others" excuse.

Steve gave him a fresh cup of coffee. Seeing him every morning, Steve knew he would never get any food in Tony if the man did not have his coffee.

Tony looked at it and frowned. "Steve?"

"Yes, Tony?" Steve did not even turn around, but kept making sandwiches.

"My coffee...what did you do to it?" He sniffed it, looking at its light brown color as if it was poison.

"You need the sugar, Tony."

"But I like it black." He slid it across the bar, which Steve turned and caught before it crashed to the floor. "Just give me a doughnut."

"We're out, thanks to Thor and Loki."

"Damn those Asgardians and their hunger for Midgardian delicacies!" Tony slammed his hand on the counter. Steve ignored him and went to pour the coffee down the drain.

"You beckoned us?" Thor and Loki appeared from around the corner.

"Great, first the coffee, then the donuts, and now-" Tony widened his eyes, then looked at Loki, who gave him a mischievous grin. His black coffee was steaming in front of him.

"Where?" Steve was confused when the mug was suddenly out of his hands. He saw the exchange between Loki and Tony and just laughed. "You know you're just spoiling him, right?"

"On the contrary, I'm just trying to make everyone's day less dreadful."

"Hey!"

"Do you really want a cranky Stark running around whining for attention? We have better things to worry about than to babysit him."

"You are right, Brother!" Thor pointed out. "I must show you and the Vision the wonders of the moving pictures of storytelling."

Loki gave Thor a look of curiosity and followed his brother to the living room.

"Great, now they're going to do nothing but become couch potatoes." Tony was grateful for his coffee, though. He took another swig as Steve set his sandwich in front of him.

Steve went around and sat on the bar stool next to Tony's. He had made himself two, since the serum made his metabolism go crazy.

They ate in silence, each one's mind thinking of how and if Ultron was right about them.

They had limitations, strings holding them back.

Steve cut his eyes to Tony, staring at his chest. He could still see the blue light shining, and he felt a little less anxious, but had this strong urge to protect Tony, whatever the cost.

As Tony sipped his coffee and nibbled at his sandwich, he thought about what Ultron did to Steve. Why did he torture him so?

But more importantly, why did Tony care so much about protecting Steve from Ultron?


	13. Chapter 13

_Now I'm free..._

Several weeks passed, with still no sign of Ultron. Tony knew better than to assume that Ultron was really defeated. He escaped once into the Internet, and he could do it again.

When Ultron would return, Tony would have help that he would gladly accept. No longer did he go off into secret projects without the consent of his entire team. He trusted them now more than ever. He had made too many mistakes in his past, some cutting it too close for comfort. The Avengers assured him that they would not do anything without each other's support because they were a team, and they were going to stick together.

Steve looked at the clock on the wall of the gym and wiped his forehead with a hand towel.

Time to go feed Tony.

They had it down to a schedule, almost like one would with a dog, but nobody minded. This way, they could all spend time together.

Using his override code, Steve walked into the lab without saying a word, sat on a bench that creaked just enough to not scare Tony, but to let him know that he needed to wrap up whatever he was doing. Bruce was in there with him this time, helping him go through "junk" that needed to be organized or discarded.

"Dummy, _no_! Your other _right_!"

"I think that's enough for today, fellas." Steve smirked at Bruce, who was laughing silently at Tony throwing a wrench at Dummy who buzzed away. Steve could have sworn the robot whined, but he was a robot, right? Stranger things have happened.

"Fiiiiiine..." Tony got up in a real "put-out" attitude and slumped to the door, Bruce and Steve following. "Is Point Break and Rock of Ages coming back tonight?"

"They said it should be either tonight or tomorrow." Bruce answered.

Thor and Loki agreed to go back to Asgard and right some of the wrongs Loki had done beforehand, like trapping Odin in his Odinsleep after faking his own death against the Dark Elves and then impersonating Odin to rule over Asgard. Ultron cut that chord real quick, and Heimdall's message told Thor and Loki that Odin was not going to be very gracious with his punishment this time. Thor assured Loki he would talk to him and tell him of how Loki had finally redeemed himself.

Surprisingly, it did not go as bad as Loki had expected. He was still alive, to say the least. His punishment was acceptable, but made Loki moan in protest, but Thor knew he would enjoy it more than he let everyone on.

Loki was to help the Avengers in defending Midgard, since a lot of the damages in his recent past was done there. Asgard was used to Loki's schemes, so they had already recovered. Loki begrudgingly agreed to avenge Earth, much to Thor's happiness.

"Brother, we are brothers in arms once more!"

Loki had to admit he was pleased with the outcome. Although he had lost his mother and he still hated Odin-and he was sure the feeling was mutual no matter what Thor told him-his relationship with Thor was beginning to heal its old wounds. Thor promised to be as patient and understanding as he could in helping Loki become an Avenger, not the monster he always called himself.

* * *

They were all piled on the couches drinking wine, except for the Vision and Steve, when Thor and Loki returned. The teleportation into the Tower scared the living daylight out of everyone, causing red stained carpet and couches everywhere.

Tony did not mind, however. Dummy could clean it up.

Clint decided that they should not have to do paperwork tonight since the Asgardians would just get more confused, so they agreed with Clint to watch TV.

Of course, Thor and Loki wanted to watch Sherlock because they had only gotten through the end of Season 2 and they just had to know what happened. Even the Vision was curious. His excuse was wanting to learn as much about human culture as possible since he too was "alien" to this way of living.

Nobody argued.

* * *

It was 2 A.M., and no one could sleep, as per usual. Thoughts of Ultron were still haunting every occupant at Avengers Tower.

Was he really that powerful? Could nothing hold him back? They each had their limitations, but even without a body, Ultron can still thrive.

Natasha rolled over and met Clint's eyes alert and awake.

"Can't sleep either, huh?"

"It's the nightmares. You?"

"Yeah." She did not know if those memories would ever leave her. But she had survived this far, and she was not going to let her past hold her back.

Clint sighed. He was thinking the same thing. It would be nice to forget...

Bruce woke up in a cold sweat again. He had allowed it to happen again. After working so hard with the Other Guy to do good and help people, he had hurt them. It was a terrible dream, one he was all too familiar with. Will it ever end?

Most likely not. The Other Guy was hard enough to control after so many years. He was not going to let this Kryptonite become his demise, so to speak.

Thor could not sleep either. Memories of the visions he had came to him every night since the Maximoff showed him way back when. Was this his destiny? After all he had done to protect the Nine Realms...to become Thor the Destroyer?

He looked down at Mjolnir, and wondered for how much longer would he still be worthy?

"Never doubt yourself, Brother."

Thor smiled and turned to Loki, who had appeared next to him, looking at the hammer that changed his life.

"You should take your own advice."

"It's not that I am unsure of my actions, it's whether or not they are...good."

Silent understanding between the two brothers held itself in the air for a moment. They had been through so much together, even to Hel and back, yet here they were. Together again, on the same side, as it should be.

"I do not want to burden you, Thor." Loki held his hand up, silencing Thor's protest. "You have built yourself a new life here, and I don't want to destroy that, but since I'm here, I would like to..."

Thor smiled. "Loki, I would be honored to share this new world with you. The possibilities are endless."

"I'm afraid so..." Loki looked off into the night sky, able to pinpoint constellations that he had visited in his lifetime.

* * *

Some shuffling woke Steve up. He mumbled something incoherent and blinked at the clock on his nightstand.

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Dunno, don't care." Tony said before he fell onto the bed right next to Steve.

"Tony..." Steve stiffened.

"Yeah?" The muffled pillow replied.

"What are you doing here?"

Tony's arc reactor, he just knew, went out for a second.

_Shit._

He jumped out of bed, Steve sitting up, placing a pillow in front of his torso.

"Sorry, um, I was...sleepy?"

"And you wanted to come sleep...in here...with me?" Steve fought the urge to blush.

Tony swallowed. He hated these awkward moments. Word vomit ensued. "Look, let's cut to the chase. I _like_ like you, Steve, and I know you _like_ like me too, so can I just go to sleep? Isn't that what you all want me to do?"

Steve smiled, looking away for a second. "I...Tony...sure..." He gave this goofy half smile that sent Tony over the edge.

"What has been holding me back all this time?" Tony said to himself out loud.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing." Tony crawled back into bed next to Steve.

Steve rolled onto his side to face Tony. His eyes shifted to check the arc reactor.

"It's fine, Steve. That's why I have back-ups."

"That's why you're never leaving my sight. If Ultron comes back..."

There it is...

It only lasted a split second, but Tony caught the fear in Steve's eyes. Ultron really did a number on the Captain, moreso than just the ice. He played into Steve's weaknesses, and Tony was not going to let anyone, and he meant even himself, tear Steve Rogers down like that.

" _We_ will do it...together."

"Together."

* * *

The Vision roamed the halls of the Tower alone. He did not sleep. He did not need it. Besides, he had a lot to think about.

Was Ultron a monster?

Did he deserve to be destroyed again? 

The Vision truly believed in fighting for the side of good. He also believed everyone deserved a chance of redemption. He thought about Tony, Master Stark and Loki and really every member of this team. They all had rough beginnings, but they each rose to the occasion. They were all told "no," but went ahead and did it anyway. And now look at what they had become.

Not perfect heroes.

No, they still had their own demons to face. More battles needed to be fought.

But one thing was for certain.

There were no strings on the Avengers.


End file.
